Table 2.
Predation efficiency of the copepods against larvae of Anopheles stephensi and Aedes aegypti after treatment with TF-AgNPs.
| Mosquito Species | Targeted Instar | Number of Consumed Prey | Total Predation (n) | Consumed Prey per Copepod per Day |
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Control | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Day 5 | ||||
| Anopheles stephensi | Larva I | 0 | 49.7 ± 1.5 | 50.4 ± 1.8 | 49.5 ± 2.5 | 47.9 ± 1.5 | 48.6 ± 3.1 | 246.1 | 4.92 |
| Larva II | 0 | 30.2 ± 0.9 | 27.6 ± 1.6 | 29.2 ± 3.1 | 31.4 ± 2.7 | 30.7 ± 2.1 | 149.1 | 2.98 | |
| Larva III | 0 | 14.6 ± 1.1 | 15.3 ± 1.9 | 14.7 ± 2.7 | 16.1 ± 1.6 | 15.5 ± 1.6 | 76.2 | 1.52 | |
| Larva IV | 0 | 8.8 ± 1.1 | 9.1 ± 0.4 | 7.4 ± 1.3 | 7.4 ± 1.8 | 8.2 ± 1.9 | 40.9 | 0.81 | |
| Aedes aegypti | Larva I | 0 | 72.3 ± 1.5 | 70.4 ± 0.7 | 73.1 ± 0.9 | 70.5 ± 0.5 | 71.9 ± 2.1 | 358.2 | 7.16 |
| Larva II | 0 | 59.1 ± 1.9 | 62.7 ± 1.8 | 59.0 ± 1.4 | 57.9 ± 1.4 | 60.1 ± 1.0 | 298.8 | 5.97 | |
| Larva III | 0 | 33.4 ± 2.4 | 35.1 ± 0.4 | 30.9 ± 1.4 | 33.4 ± 2.1 | 32.6 ± 1.2 | 165.4 | 3.30 | |
| Larva IV | 0 | 20.1 ± 0.9 | 18.9 ± 2.7 | 19.5 ± 0.8 | 20.1 ± 2.6 | 20.9 ± 2.3 | 99.5 | 1.99 | |
Predation rates are means ± SD of five replicates (10 copepods vs. 100 mosquitoes per replicate). The control was clean water without copepods (p < 0.05).